Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
From: hutch@hfglobe.intel.com (Stephen Hutchison)
Subject: [DQ] Week 14 'Raelf - "And in opposing, end them?"
Message-ID: <BxKHpC.1qu@hfglobe.intel.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 19:48:47 GMT

[ADMIN] A partial answer to the "traitor" question ...

>Dark Master: "Now you see how truly naive you were to think you could
>oppose me. But I shall give you one final chance to show some intelligence.
>Forget your 'noble' ideas and join with me -- the alternative is ending up
>like your friend 'SunStorm'".

Lord Raven smirked, smug in the certainty of his power.  He had made his
offer of servitude to these fools, and they stood, gaping like idiots,
considering their state as if they had any real choice.

Kadrys glanced leftwards - there, the priestess with her two agony slaves,
feeding her power with their pain.  They were locked in mobile frames, an
obscene kind of exoskeleton, with hooks and barbs and clamps that went into
their bodies, keeping them in a state of continual pain.  The healing amulets
around their necks kept them alive, feeding Noira with a continual source of
pain, powering her spells.  Kadrys locked eyes with them, surreptitiously,
CONTACT - wait for it, NOW - SLEEP, THERE IS NO PAIN, SLEEP...

"Lord, it is time," the priestess of Loviatar begged.  "The vampire, his
gaze is stealing the pain from my slaves."  She seethed with hidden anger.

"Then stop him, Noira," Lord Raven chuckled, "I forbid him to change form."

Kadrys felt his senses spin as the will of the Dark Master clamped down
on his body, holding him in a state of solidity.  He fought back, but he
had to yield the mind-grip on the sleeping slaves, and slowly won back
control of his body.

The zombies remaining around Noira stood aside.  From their ranks, a huge,
twisted caricature of a man stepped forward, his hands strangely fused with
the weapon he bore, an immense crossbow.  It was strung with the tendons of a
dragon, loaded with a quarrel as thick around as the giant's wrist.  His one
eye was a strange compound structure, useful only for choosing his target.

'Raelf saw it before the others.  The thing raised the crossbow and the missile
was launched straight for Kadrys' heart.   'Raelf broke the grip of the zombies
that held him, and lunged toward Kadrys.

He was too slow.  He dove, trying to knock away the quarrel.  He missed.

The missile struck home.

He was transfixed, skull shattered, blood spraying over Kadrys and the
rest.  A wild whirl of colors began to erupt around him as his body
fell heavily to the ground.

"Now!"  Noira held up a brightly colored clay pot, painted with a moebius
pattern. "Calthectos Cortartam Talonis!"  The slaves shrieked as spikes
from the body-frames grew in, piercing their eyes, their livers, their gums.

The mage's body flickered, then shattered, and before the eyes of the
stunned dragon-questors, the transparent shape of a blonde man was dragged,
screaming inaudible refusal, into the jar.  The shattered parts of his
body flashed, brilliant impossible patterns, and vanished, sinking into
the dirt, flying into the air as mist and sparks.

The Dark Master stood, gloating, enjoying the shock and disbelief of the
questors.  He had done what they thought impossible, with trivial ease.
He watched, as Noira fed on the questers' emotional pain.

The questers stood, helpless, outnumbered, outpowered.

"Now that the entertainment is completed, I repeat my offer for the last
 time.  Join me now, alive, or join me in death."  Lord Raven smiled, fangs
gleaming in mock welcome.

.....


[ Interlude:

Hey, blondie.  Snap out of it.

What?  Where am I?

It's time.

Oh.  It's you.  Wow.  You're still a babe.  I had to tell you.  No dis.

Thanks, you're cute too.  Now come on, I have lots more to do.

Sure.

(There is the sound of wings)

]